Sill removal
Sill removal
Author
Discussion

bilton_d

Original Poster:

605 posts

295 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
looking at taking the sills off to give the chassis a real good overall clean, fresh paint and new waxoyl.
Looking at the bible it states 3 bolts to remove along with the pop rivets, i can see 1 bolt on the ledge next to the accelerator pedal and one right up behind the seat belt. I know the sills were off about 5 years ago for rust proection but i can't figure how to get the bolts loosened, front one is badly rusted and the rear one is almost impossible to get at.
Is is best to just try and grind them out and replace with new stainless steel ones?

wedg1e

27,034 posts

294 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
That's what I did on the 390. The bolts were actually studs, welded to bits of plate that were pop-rivetted to the sills.
I ground them off and made new ones using stainless bolts.
You may also find some blobs of mastic holding the sills to the shell as well.

bilton_d

Original Poster:

605 posts

295 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
i think the bolts have already been replaced as these look like they are bolted from the outside to in if you get my drift.I will get a better idea when its up on the ramps and axle stands

GV

2,366 posts

253 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
you got two bolts at one side of the sill. One in the footwell the other behind the seat belts. They would be too rusty to remove so you got to grind them out. The rest are all rivets along the side with some mastic to stop the vibration.

combine

3,114 posts

258 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
Just done this very important job on 390 - sills held on by small bolts each end - if you are lucky they will undo with 10mm socket , if not they snap off which is even better as nothing to undo , then just drill out rivets carefully - don/t damage sill - and cut through adhesive between sill and body each end - sill then pulls off to reveal ....

bilton_d

Original Poster:

605 posts

295 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
Was there just 2 bolts 1 behind the seat belt and 1 up around the accelerator?

combine

3,114 posts

258 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
Yes - 10mm socket size , unless someone has changed them before !

pistolar

1,474 posts

297 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
The threaded fixings are called "Big Heads" and consist of a flat disc with rivet holes and a stud. The "big heads" are riveted to the sill, there being two of them. I got some from a local fibreglass company.

combine

3,114 posts

258 months

Sunday 22nd January 2006
quotequote all
I removed the old ones - one was actually ok !- and made new ones out of galv. plate the drilled holes and rivetted them back , I also galvanised all replacement fixings with galv. spray .

FrenchTVR

1,844 posts

296 months

Monday 23rd January 2006
quotequote all
Interesting because my sills do not have any bolts at all, nor holes for them, only a load of pop rivets.

wedg1e

27,034 posts

294 months

Monday 23rd January 2006
quotequote all
FrenchTVR said:
Interesting because my sills do not have any bolts at all, nor holes for them, only a load of pop rivets.


Yeah, the 280 FHC I welded up last year was like that!

350zwelgje

1,820 posts

290 months

Monday 23rd January 2006
quotequote all
wedg1e said:
FrenchTVR said:
Interesting because my sills do not have any bolts at all, nor holes for them, only a load of pop rivets.


Yeah, the 280 FHC I welded up last year was like that!


Same with me on a '87 350i. Rivets only and found a couple of self tapers that didn't hold anything. So rivets + mastic stuff can be ok. Problem now is that I don't dare to hit the sill when getting in and out, as I think it could come off.

Rob

combine

3,114 posts

258 months

Monday 23rd January 2006
quotequote all
Put some bolts in perhaps - makes it much more ridged .

bilton_d

Original Poster:

605 posts

295 months

Thursday 26th January 2006
quotequote all
Just an update ...... drivers side sill is now off but what a real pain, the bolts were just spinning to had to force then off.
"A" frames are rubbed down using a paint scrapper then a wire brush and finally a wire brush attachment on an electric drill, i'll finish the drivers side outriggers tommorrow night before a coat of hammerite and several spray's of waxoyl but the good news is they are totally solid, even still have most of the black paint protection that TVR initially used.

350zwelgje

1,820 posts

290 months

Thursday 26th January 2006
quotequote all
bilton_d said:
Just an update ...... drivers side sill is now off but what a real pain, the bolts were just spinning to had to force then off.
"A" frames are rubbed down using a paint scrapper then a wire brush and finally a wire brush attachment on an electric drill, i'll finish the drivers side outriggers tommorrow night before a coat of hammerite and several spray's of waxoyl but the good news is they are totally solid, even still have most of the black paint protection that TVR initially used.


Your wedge being from '87, and me having the same experience and it being of the same age. It must be a good-TVR chassis protection year (like in wine, and unpredictable). My chassis is black as well with most of the protection being ok. Only needed to replace the back plates as front ones and outriggers were fine.
By the way, don't do waxoyling. Prefer to touch up instead.

Rob

wedg1e

27,034 posts

294 months

Thursday 26th January 2006
quotequote all
Yes, my '87 only needed the plates replacing - well some of them, but I did them all anyway

bilton_d

Original Poster:

605 posts

295 months

Friday 27th January 2006
quotequote all
I guess i'm really lucky as the plates are solid too .... so far anyway .... passenger side to attack this weekend

>> Edited by bilton_d on Friday 27th January 21:27

combine

3,114 posts

258 months

Friday 27th January 2006
quotequote all
Good luck !